My 5 children and 3 grandchildren are collectively the ONLY reason that I will live out the remainder of my life here and not in the Seattle or Denver area. If they were scattered throughout out the country instead of all within 20 miles I doubt I'd still be here.
"My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"
President Harry S. Truman
I'm turning 40 this year. I've always been something of an old soul. I guess that happens when you have three elder brothers, the eldest being 16 years older than you.
So much of my taste in music, fashion, movies was shaped by my older brothers. We weren't rich; everything was handed down from brother to brother in those days. I inherited my elder brother's clothes, cassettes and VHS tapes (who inherited them from the elder brother and so on). So growing up, when my friends were listening to Motley Crue, I was listening to my brother's Eagles tapes.
I reckon that makes you an "old soul" since your tastes and likes are always a generation behind.
I've been trying to get into new music but man, I have to admit, it's becoming harder. I always saw myself as someone who understood music deeply, but the new genres and instruments, especially in electronic and hip hop music is something I don't "get"
But hey, the oldies are still kicking it. Elton John, McCartney, Jimmy Buffet are all still among the world's highest paid musicians:
https://midination.com/highest-earning-musicians-2017/
More power to them!
So, I 'get' to be 60 in a week.
Forces are aligning to make that a long week.
Two weeks ago, while playing video guy in a rural area of western Virginia, I suffered an attack of biliary colic ( AKA a gallstone attack ).
Out of the freaking blue, middle of the day. Had no idea what the heck was going on.
Lucky for me there was a nice regional hospital 1/2 mile from the place I was working.
After a few hours of scans and general hanging around I felt much better.
Gall stone and a spot on your liver was the diagnosis from an ultrasound.
Impending MRI to examine the whole scene, and then more followups.
I thought I could get away with general good health for another 10 years.
Sigh.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
-- Aristotle
Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
“A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain
Hope you take it better than I. When I turned 40 they sent a scantily clad chick with "You're over the hill" balloons and shit to my door signing some stupid song. I was so pissed off and such a dick I said. "Stop, no thanks", shut the door in her face and walked away.
Now 40 seems like a young whipper-snapper...
Well, you've got a lot of gall! Seriously though, I don't really know what a gall stone is. I did have a kidney stone a couple of years ago, and even though it turned out to be tiny, it hurt like a bitch for a day or two.
Best of luck with the MRI and all, I'm sure it'll all be ok. I seem to remember my grandmother having gallstones and it not being too big a deal.
With the MRIs now, apparently you can somehow listen to music, so maybe you can catch up on some new prog releases.
Keep us posted!
I made 60 in Feb. I feel it. Every decade I hit a wall. Right now my right, rotator cuff feels worn out. I'm taking Naproxen. At some point I'll need an MRI.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
-- Aristotle
Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
“A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain
A little cannabis helps with the shoulder pain. Only on weekends. I'm not a pothead.......
I had a routine Dr's appt Wednesday. My PSA number (for prostate cancer) and my A1C (average blood sugar) are back down to normal. I've lost about 10 lbs since March and my BP was 104/55. Back in March, I had a chest X-ray because I smoke (yeah, yeah, stupid me). My lungs are fine. They did, however, find something abnormal on my spine but there hasn't really been any symptoms from it. They gave me a bone scan anyway but they don't know what it is so they're keeping an eye on it. Sill, I got this cool card for law enforcement that said I was radioactive for a few days:
Attachment 12415
That night, I turned off all the lights in the house and looked in a mirror. I was a walking night light!
I get another bone scan the beginning of December.
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the white zone."
I had an MRI earlier in the year. They had Pandora on the soundsystem and asked me what channel I wanted. I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head, so just said Pink Floyd. It was kind of surreal listening to Pink Floyd in an MRI machine, but it made the time go faster.
^ It would have been really eerie if the first song that was played was "Welcome To The Machine."
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the white zone."
I've had two MRIs. The first one we had to bail on because of my claustrophobia. I had kept my eyes shut when I went in but then made the mistake of opening them. When the nurse pulled me out she was actually laughing. She said, "you should have seen your face." I don't think I've ever felt more panicked before or since.
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the white zone."
I also had two MRIs. The first was in Japan 15 years ago and the clanking and other noises were LOUD, but I don't think I was in there longer than 30 minutes. Ten years later I had one in the U.S. Not nearly as loud but LONG - over an hour. I was fine up to about an hour but then told to be more still. I tried to explain that 60 minutes is a long time to be in a tube with no Pink Floyd.
I had a sarcoma in my right calf in 2011, surgery then radiation. I've had lots of MRIs, and CT scans(no longer) as well. They never play music, but I don't have to go in head first.
No big deal. I usually think of music I'm working on while in there. I have slow growing prostate cancer as well. My PSA is holding steady. I'll be 64 in February. I miss running on the tennis court, and playing sets. I was pretty good. I can still hit balls well, but can't run due to the radiation. My leg could break. Can only lift 30 pounds, so had to buy new bass equipment, which actually worked out very well. I retired two years ago due to a crappy principal. I am now teaching part time and making about the same money with my pension. Playing more music. Still walking the earth.
No music, just headphones for the nice lady computer voice to tell me to breath and hold.
Pretty surreal.
With all of the breathing, strange static in the headphones, some kind of pump with a 120bpm disco rhythm, and random tones and vibrations from the machine it was sort of an avant-garde music performance.
I have sat through worse, but with probably a cheaper ticket price.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
-- Aristotle
Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
“A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain
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A gentleman is defined as someone who knows how to play the accordion, and doesn't.
Ulcerative Colitis (intermittent digestive system havoc)
Sciatica (often use a back brace until I've been vertical for a while after waking up, even with the best mattress $ can buy for low back pain)
Peripheral Neuropathy in both feet/toes (no pain but constant tingling and some numbness-still can walk fine (so far))
The above listed issues have turned me into, with a few exceptions, a hermit (different from a recluse since an introvert I ain't). I won't do airports anymore (even if my ego succumbed to a wheelchair), and I won't drive any further than Chicago, and even that's with reluctance. My life is my kids/grandkids, Netflix/Hulu & Cannabis, so it's damn well still worth living even with all that shit.
I wish none of the above for all of you 50 & 60-somethings that are starting to be concerned, but that's me at 74.
"My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"
President Harry S. Truman
I also have a white noise machine and love it. I first got it back when I was working 3rd shift to block out the daytime noise (lawnmowers, cars, etc.). I am a 2nd shifter now, but my wife and I still work different shifts so it helps block out noise in the morning when she is getting ready to go to work and late at night when I come home. We also take it when we travel as it is great at blocking out noise in hotel rooms. I have become a white noise addict and can’t sleep without it anymore.
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